The Alternate Ending
by GetWithIt
Summary: A different spin on the results of the final battle. Completely ridiculous and a little bit sappy. DISCLAIMER: I own nothing you recognize!


**The Final Battle**

He had done it. Harry James Potter had finally done what he'd always been meant to do. The man, no, _being_ that was responsible for taking so many innocent lives had been vanquished. Harry didn't no whether to laugh, cry, or look on in stony indifference as the pale, snakelike form fell backwards.

Harry spared a quick glance around him. Dawn had just broken out over the castle and streamed in through the shattered windows – illuminating the Great Hall and all the spectators that had frozen to watch the end of it all play out. Just as Voldemort's lifeless body stilled upon the ground, a moment of utter shock and silence took over as people tried to reconcile what they had seen with what they dared not hope.

Before anybody could react a flash of blindingly white light lit the floor between where Harry and Voldemort had faced off. Everyone was once more stunned silent as they took in the rather large group of people.

All the figures that had appeared were cloaked in light grey, all but one. A single figure stood apart. The distinctive figure wore robes of pale gold and towered well above the crowd behind him. He or she was closest to Harry – standing only a few steps before him.

The air was thick with silence and Harry swallowed nervously. He so desperately wanted it to be done, to be over with. He could only look on as the tall figure turned to face the crowd of spectators.

"We have come," the figure announced in a voice neither male nor female. The words spoken echoed around the room and had someone tried to speak out they would have found themselves quite unable to interrupt.

"We have come to return your loved ones to you and your world. My brethren and I belong to an ancient race and we usually stand apart from the woes of mortals. We have intervened now only because the one you call 'Lord Voldemort' –" the voice was mocking yet many in the crowd could not help but wince "has interfered with our realm.

"We hold domain over Time. You could call us the enforcers of fate, if you must call us anything at all, but know that what will be done today will not occur a second time. You see, your self proclaimed 'Dark Lord' threw the world out of balance. He existed when he should not and went about ending many before their Time was up.

"His interference with fate and the timeline could not be allowed. Unfortunately though, we cannot directly end a mortal's life. So instead we allowed a new timeline to play out. We had to stand back and allow fate's chosen to end him for us." The gold hood obscured their face but no one missed their pointed glance at Harry.

"While we could not directly interfere – we have interfered indirectly so as to prevent throwing the world out of balance. We could not allow all the deaths that would have occurred to truly come to pass. So we have watched and waited – only acting when those that 'died' would have been taken out of turn. We could not allow one foolish mortal to meddle about in our domain.

"Each and every time someone would have died Before Their Time we stepped in. We halted Time Itself and replaced the intended victim with an animated copy. Their consciousness was always transferred to the copy – so that they could act as they would have without our actions. Only when their copies were killed did their consciousness return to their true bodies.

"We have kept these individuals hidden away in our personal realm until now. They were permitted to look in on family and loved ones through our scrying pools, but they were unable to make contact with those still here. Now that the altered timeline has finally resulted in the proper state we are returning them to you.

"Know that not everyone can be returned," the booming voice demanded. "We have saved those that could be saved but not those whose Time was actually up. It is fate's way – when someone is meant to die at a certain Time even we cannot obstruct the path laid out.

"Albus Dumbledore is once such example. You will learn of the rest in time. Now however, the ones we saved are being returned all over the country. Standing behind me are the ones who wanted to be returned to the scene of the battle as well as those who would find their families here. My brethren are returning the others in similar groups – giving the same speeches in places like your ministry." Harry and the others were standing frozen, unsure of what to believe, too afraid to hope -

"Before I take my leave there is one final action I will take on behalf of my people." The golden-robed figure turned to Harry, stepping closer until they stood directly before him. "This boy has done what we could not. He has saved this world from a terrible fate and righted the wrongs of another. Unfortunately, in doing so he has given up his childhood. He has repeatedly faced the monster whose name fully grown adults would not speak. Harry Potter has saved you all. He has also aided us in protecting and restoring our domain.

"In thanks we have decided upon a gift. It is as much a gift for him as an attempt at righting the wrongs we have unfairly done him. Had we been able to stop the madman in the beginning then none of this would have happened." Harry could only stare in shock and confusion at the being in front of him.

"I don't –" Harry began, his throat dry. "I don't need a gift. If what you're saying is true then I don't need anything at all."

The figure in gold lifted their hood. They had braided white hair and milky blue eyes that made them appear blind. Harry still could not guess their gender – they had beautiful androgynous features and the golden robe hid the rest of their body from view.

"You may not think you need it, Harry Potter," the beautiful creature announced. "But you do. And you will receive it here and now."

Harry could not move as they reached out a perfectly smooth and pale hand. "We give you, Harry Potter, seven years – no more, no less." And with that a pale digit brushed against Harry's forehead.

He felt a strange warmth engulf him even as the strange being stepped back and gestured to the hooded figures in grey. "Your loved ones."

In a flash of white light only those in grey remained. Harry watched with wide eyes as one by one they removed their hoods. He saw Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown, Fred Weasley, Remus, Tonks, _Sirius_ and numerous others. What made his breath catch in his throat however, was not the crowd of people he thought he'd never see again, but the two figures who rushed towards him.

He could not form a coherent thought. Between the strange feelings of whatever had been done to him and his shock at seeing dead people walking around, Harry was fairly certain he'd never be able to speak again. Seeing his long-dead parents was the final straw.

With great relief, Harry Potter fainted, eager to enter the blissful darkness where he did not have to think or understand anything at all.

**Dead People Walking**

Harry awoke to the strange sensation of being carried. He was curled against someone's chest and absently decided it must be Hagrid's; no one else could make Harry feel so small and childlike, let alone cradle him in their arms.

He was content to lie there, in Hagrid's arms, while his brain tried to work out the wonderful, impossible dream he had had. It was only when he realized that the person carrying him was speaking that he jerked fully awake. It was _not _Hagrid who was carrying him, but some other unidentifiable male.

"Whoa, calm down little guy!" Harry squirmed even more as the arms around him tightened so he would not fall to the floor.

Another voice cut in, "Harry, sweetheart, he's going to drop you if you don't hold still." Harry froze and turned towards the voice. It was his mother, looking older than he'd ever seen her, but still his mother and every bit as beautiful as she'd ever been. He found himself opening his mouth and closing it again as no sound came out.

"I think you've broken him Mrs. Potter." Harry whipped his head around to find Hermione walking beside whoever was carrying him.

"Hermione! What's happened? Are you and Ron alright?" Hermione laughed, a light and carefree laugh that he almost couldn't believe came from the girl who had suffered with him for the entirety of the horcrux hunt.

"I'm fine Harry," she insisted. "Ron's fine too. He's with his family celebrating Fred's safe return. They're all together now. Mrs. Weasley practically went into shock when he and her brothers pulled their hoods down." Harry couldn't help but notice Hermione was happier than he's seen her in ages. Her grin was wide enough that he was almost afraid it would split her face in two.

_Wait. _"Brothers?" Harry asked incredulously. Hermione nodded, beaming at him.

"Gideon and Fabian Prewett. They were returned safe and sound with quite a few other former order members." Harry just nodded dumbly and Hermione continued speaking. "I left them in the great hall to catch up and also so I could let you know we were all okay. I'm going to leave you with your parents now, alright? Now that you know we're all okay you don't have to worry about anything more than catching up with them."

She nodded in his mum's direction and then at the man carrying Harry. "By the way," she said with a slightly insane looking smile. "You make an adorable ten year old! I'd forgotten how cute you were in first year."

Harry stared in confusion as she turned and bounded away. "She's right you know." Harry turned his head to look up at whoever was holding him and was only partially surprised to see James Potter smiling down on him.

The last thing Hermione had said finally clicked. "Wait a second! Ten years old? What was she talking about?" Harry tried very hard to ignore how high pitched and young he sounded.

It was his mum who answered. "That was their gift, Harry. The Enforcers made you a child again in body, mind, and soul. They let you keep all your memories, but aside from that, you're a regular ten year old."

Suddenly the fact that he was being carried in his father's arms like a little kid made sense. At that same moment Harry realized just how embarrassing that was. "Put me down!" he demanded as he started squirming again.

"Alright, alright!" James Potter gently lowered his son's feet to the ground and let him stand on his own. Harry glanced back and forth between his parents and tried not to blush when they each took one of his hands in their own.

"You're really alive?" he asked in a small voice. "This isn't some dream I'm having?" Both his parents shared a look.

"No, this isn't a dream," his mum said as she ran her free hand through Harry's messy hair. "This is real. We're real. And we're going to take care of you like we should have been able to this entire time."

That was more than he could take. Harry released his hold on his father's hand and buried his face in his mother's stomach as sobs wracked his small frame. His father moved to hold them both while his mother wrapped her arms around his shaking shoulders.

"We'll be here for you Harry. You won't be alone this time," James Potter's voice was even as tears ran down his cheeks.

Harry could only cry harder as he realized that the wish he'd thought would never, could never, be granted finally came true. All those nights spent as a lonely orphan wishing his long-lost parents would come save him seemed a little less silly.

Harry James Potter finally had what he always dreamed of – a family that would love him unconditionally. All was well.

_Okay, to tie up loose ends..._

_Snape alive vs not alive - I was initially thinking not, just because I find it hard to imagine him living with himself and being happy with James Potter back in the picture. I think it's probably best that he dies for good. His death was a sacrifice and he earned redemption that way. You can think what you like though..._

_Ginny will be sad that she can't shack up with Harry but in the end she'll be happy that he gets another chance at a childhood. I would have had her deaged too, but that seemed a bit extreme for a romance that had never really taken off. (I like to think of Ginny as a pretty good/selfless person all around but I don't think she's Harry's perfect soulmate - people have lots of great romantic matches)_

_George still ends up with Angelina and Fred will find someone new now that his fake-death experience has altered him some. _

_I'd like to think after rebuilding is done that the ministry will undergo some de-corrupting and the light side will enable the wizarding world to finally make advancements. I mean, they shouldn't be _that_ far behind muggles._

_Harry will of course get private animagus training from the marauders!_

_That's all I can think of but I think it's even better when you just kind of imagine it turns out the way you'd like best._


End file.
